A Night in the Dark
by justanotherwritertryingmybest
Summary: Dick wasn't the only kid Bruce adopted. While we all know the stories of the other members of this large and complicated family, there is one we missed. The first daughter of Bruce Wayne. Read to discover her story and the hurt and trauma she had to endure. *Will be a multichapter fic* *I also apologise I suck at summaries*


1\. A Night in the Dark

Sirens barred, their noise amplified and echoing off the skyscrapers that towered over the people of Gotham city. Blue and red lights flashed brightly, reflected in the building's glass panes. Despite the commotion, people traversing the streets seem unaffected. Crime was common pace in Gotham, it's citizens hardened and used to the dangers that the city posed, at least those who had not fled to Central City or Metropolis. Those were by far safer places to live, to raise a family. Gotham was infested with everything from the common thug to psychopaths dressed as clowns. The latter were what really scared people off. They weren't people the police could handle or catch. They were too smart, too dangerous, too crazy. Gotham was also a pace full of corruption and bribery. Usually the ones put in jail did not stay there for ong. They always found someone to contact and manipulate, and the already stretched-thin police force could rarely intervene in time to prevent an escape. The GCPD could hold their own against the average criminal, but against the enhanced and insane? Not so much. The only thing that came between them and the people of the city were the vigilantes.

It had started with one man. Clad in black from head to toe, with the voice of the Devil and a cold rage that seemed to petrify his enemies at once. Batman. a name that induce fear into the criminal masses. Since his first appearance in Gotham, crime rates had gone down, people felt safer, and the city seemed to be functioning more efficiently now that time and energy wasn't being entirely spent on apprehending criminals. It had taken work, and trust on both the vigilante's part, and the GCPD. Both were wary of each other. The police worried about the Bat working outside of the law. They didn't want to add a masked killer with police data and records to their problems. The Bat on the other hand could easily acquire the information without the police. His primary concern was them getting in the way and preventing him from working effectively. Eventually an uneasy alliance was drawn, both sides egnologing the fact that they needed each other to protect the people. Four years later, that alliance stood strong, the BatSignal a constant bécon illuminating the city skyline.

Bruce sighed. It had been a rough few years, but worth every moment. 'Scratch that' he thought, rubbing his sore shoulder from last night's patrol. There were DEFINaNTY moments he could live without. But he owed it to his parents, to the people of Gotham, and to himself to stand up and protect the innocent. Just as he wished someone had for his Mother and Father on that horrible night in Crime memory resurfaced for a moment; the barrel of a gun pointing at his mother, his father trying to tackle the man to the red, so much red. Bruce shivered and pulled his coat tighter around his body as if the frigid air were responsible and not the gruesome images that had changed his life forever. That had made him the Batman.

"Bruccce are you suuuure I have to wear the tie?"

The small voice of the young boy beside him was enough to bring Bruce out of his thoughts. The child was pulling at the offending piece of fabric, his face wrinkled in disgust. The older man stifled a laugh, opting for a small smile instead.

Richard John Grayson 'Dick' was a blessing to all who had the pleasure of meeting him. He grew up with the Circus as his family, his parents skilled acrobats. Hence from a young age Dick was taught the art of performing. This was evident in everything he did. Each movement was fluid, confident,graceful, as if rehearsed. Dick's smile was bright, as if to put an audience at ease. He was expressive, not only in the way he flew through the air, catching onto his parent's hands as he navigated the trapeze, but in his eyes. Dick was an open book. One look into those baby blue orbs and you pretty much knew exactly what he was thinking. This specific trait of his had come in handy during the past year that he had been with Bruce. It definitely wasn't easy to help piece together a boy broken by the loss of his parents, but Bruce had gone through it himself. The moment he saw the lines snap, heard the shrieks of the audience and the little boy that stood atop the raised platform of the trapeze, forced to watch his parents fall to their deaths, Bruce knew that he had to save him. Save him from the darkness that came with the loss of a loved one, of the helplessness that seemed to settle on one's shoulders, and the all encompassing grief that seemed to engulf the world.

********************flashback*******************************************************  
With a heavy, but determined heart, Bruce pushed through the people who were crowding around the bodies of the two acrobats. His heart sank further upon seeing the young child bent over his parent's broken forms, tears streaming down his face. Bruce needed to get the crowd to disperse, the police had just arrived and were already directing people out of the tent, but the kid looked like he was on the verge of a panic attack and being surrounded by tall looming strangers would only make it worse. Using a tone he only reserved for his nightly escapades, Bruce squared his shoulders and growled out a "Move!" to the people around him. They quickly backed off, his large form and stern face intimidating to say the least. When there were significantly less people, he slowly approached the boy.

Dick was in shock, anybody could tell you that. The poor kid was rocking back and forth, knees drawn up to his chin. He had abandoned his position near his parents, and was now backed up against the podium that the Ringmaster had used only minutes ago. He was shaking with such an intensity the Bruce was afraid he would break into a million pieces right before his eyes.

He stopped a couple feet in front of the boy, thoughts whirling through his head. Was he really the right person for this? He had no experience with children, and didn't even have a normal childhood himself. Alfred had practically raised him, trying hard not to let the darkness of his past suffocate him. Bruce was grateful that he hadn't been shipped off to some orphanage, alone and afraid. Looking down at the kid in front of him, Bruce sighed. He couldn't let that happen to this kid. When he had taken up the mantle of Batman, he had made a promise to himself. Never would he allow what had befallen him, to happen to another child. But here he was, watching as it unfolded before his eyes. Despite all his training, all his skills, everything he had learned these past few years… he couldn't save them. The guilt weighed heavily in his stomach, like a sack of cold stones. It won out over his insecurities and doubts, propelling forward those last few feet.

Kneeling down in front of Dick, Bruce noticed just how small he was. For a nine year old kid was practically minuscule. He had dark ebony hair that seemed to have a mind of its own and huge blue eyes full of horror. Gently Bruce reached out a hand, not wanting to scare the boy but knowing that he needed something to ground him. The contact seemed to do something because soon those baby blues were focused on him. Taking a deep breath to steady himself, Bruce took on a calm and quiet tone.  
"Hey kiddo."

He could see that his words were being registered even through the shock by the way Dick seemed surprised to hear them. Shock had a way of mufliing everything around you until all that reaches your ears was a small whisper of sound. Taking this as a good sign, He continued.

"My name is Bruce Wayne." He let his words sink in. He highly doubted that the kid would know about Gotham's white knight billionaire, but thought it might be good to start off with basic information first. When he was met with an unsurprising silence he elaborated.  
"I.. I know what this feels like. I lost both my parents around your age as well." Dick let out a small sob. "It was really hard. I was sad and lonely and didn't know what to do." Bruce tried to keep his voice steady and calm. "The police want to take you to an orphanage," Dick's head shot up and his eyes widened in fear. "But I want to help you. I want, but only if you do too, for you to come live with me. I can take care of you and help you heal, help you not feel like the world is crashing down around you." Bruce stopped talking. He had said his piece and wanted to give Dick a chance to process what he was saying. He hated that he had to force the kid to make this decision so quickly, but there was no other way. If Dick said that he wanted to stay with Bruce, then he could fill out the paperwork and have him in his custody by tonight. If not, Dick would be forced to spend God knows how long in an orphanage that wasn't in the least capable of handling the state of his mental health.

Dick seemed to sense the urgency of the situation and what he was being asked. Bruce could see the gears turning in his head, the boy trying to make sense of what he was hearing. He gave Dick a couple of minutes to mull it over, but the police weren't going to let him talk to the kid forever and he needed an answer. It was now or never.

"Its ok to say no if you don't want to." Bruce said as he started to rise to his feet, hand lifting from its place on the boy's shoulder. He had tried hadn't he? as much as he wanted to help him, Bruce couldn't force Dick to come with him. It had to be a decision he made for himself.

A small hand grabbed onto his wrist. "Te roq, nu pleca! Vreau sa vin cu tine! Va rog!" Desperation was laced into every word as Dick kept his shaking hand locked onto Bruce's wrist. He must switch back to his first language in times of stress, Bruce noted. His Romanian was rough but Bruce translated the boy's words, 'Please don't go! I want to come with you! Please!' Tears were streaming down Dick's face, the shock having seemingly worn off. Bruce returned to his position in front of him. "are you sure?" he asked carefully, wanting to make sure Dick knew what his words meant. He nodded his head, his grip tightening, and Bruce could see it. amidst the grief, fear, and the anger, there was also the smallest shred of hope. He had given this child something to hold onto, a lifeboat in a raging sea.

And as Bruce wrapped his arms around the sobbing, shaking boy, he realised that he would do whatever it took to help this broken child, and never let that hope die.  
******************************End Flashback*************************************************

Now here he was, a year later, smiling and laughing like every child should. Dick had his moments of trauma: nightmares, flashbacks, panic attacks. But time had allowed him to heal. Not fully, but enough to start living life again. Then there was the therapy that Bruce couldn't condone, but had to learn to accept and appreciate; Dick's evening adventures.

Shortly after returning to the manor with Bruce, Dick had discovered the Batcave. To this day, Bruce had no idea how the kid had stumbled upon his closely guarded secret. He knew that alfred hadn't said anything to the boy, the old butler still had qualms about Bruce being a vigilante and would definitely not allow a nine year old to become entangled in that. Bruce on his part had been very careful about keeping his nightly whereabouts a secret from the young lad, leaving for the cave only after he was sure the kid was asleep.

But Dick, despite his fragile state of mind, was a curious nine year old after all. So despite both Bruce's and Alfred's best efforts at hiding that part of their lives, Dick still ended up finding out. Bruce could still remember the near heart attack he had upon seeing him standing at the bottom of the stairwell that opened up to the cave. Clad in warm cotton pyjamas that alfred had gotten just the day before, he stood there, mouth open in surprise. Bruce had just come back from patrol, the night having been a relatively easy one. His cowl was hanging limp in his hand as had Dick stared in awe.

From there Bruce had had a great deal of explaining to do. Dick had listened patiently, never once interrupting. He understood what knowing Bruce's secret meant, promising to never tell anyone anything about the Batman. Bruce could see it in Dick's eyes, his words were sincere.

In the weeks that followed that night, Bruce would sometimes come home to freshly baked cookies that Dick had proudly help alfred make. He was slowly coming out of his shell. Seeing Bruce trust him must have made him feel more comfortable and wanted. and though Bruce had never wanted to involve the kid, he was glad that Dick was feeling more at home with them.

Of course it didn't last long. Though Bruce had had a feeling that the deaths of Dick's parents had been anything but an accident, he hadn't shared this with the boy. Instead he had dedicated his time to searching through databases, police records, and pictures of that night at the Circus in hopes of coming to a conclusion. But again, Bruce had forgotten that he wasn't the only one with access to the cave. Dick must have gotten curious about what he had been doing and gone snooping. Discovering that his parents had been murdered, and hell bent on getting revenge, Dick had snuck out in order to find the man responsible, Tony Zucco. Which had left a very panicked Bruce tearing through Gotham to find him. The city wasn't a place for a kid, especially at night.

Two hours later found the Batman smashing through a tenth floor window to save his lost ward from almost getting a bullet in the head. It hadn't been Zucco, only one of his underlings left to cover up his escape. Bruce had a feeling that the murderer was still in Gotham; though desperately trying to leave, especially since he knew that Batman was now hot on his trail.

Once they had cleared the building, Bruce had yanked his cowl off, going from vigilante to worried parents in less than a second. after assuring himself that Dick was physically unharmed, he had finally let himself breathe. Only a few weeks of having this kid and he would already do anything to keep him safe and out of harm's way.

Dick, pale faced and scared, had tears in his eyes. But Bruce had seen a steely determination in them as well. Dick knew who had killed his parents. He knew the man was still out there. But most importantly, he needed to be the one to catch him and bring him to justice. Bruce had thought about all the times he had wished that he could find the mugger who had pulled a gun on his family. Revenge wasn't the solution but closure on the other hand….

So Bruce had trained Dick. Hours upon hours of training and lessons. There was no way he was going to let this kid, his kid, go out unless he knew that he could handle himself. as he was already a very skilled acrobat, Dick had caught on quite well. He was smart. a fast and adaptive learner. as much as it had pained him, Bruce had known that there was no other way. If he forbade Dick from going out, he would still find a way. What then? The boy would be killed instantly, not prepared whatsoever for what lurked in the city. But at least this way Bruce had known that his teachings and trainings, which he himself had been taught by the best in the world, would keep him as safe as was possible. and it hadn't been as if Bruce wouldn't be three feet from the young vigilante at all times.

That was how Robin was born. The light to the Batman's darkness. The boy wonder.

"Brrrrrruuuuccccee…"  
And said light was currently giving Bruce the biggest puppy eyes he was sure he had ever seen while fighting a losing battle with his tie.  
The two of them had taken to walking to Wayne Enterprises instead of having alfred chauffeur them. Bruce had thought it a lovely day and, upon realising that he had been caught up in work the past week and not able to spend much time with his kid, had decided that if would be a good day to bring Dick along with him, the walk allowing them some quality time together.

Bruce stopped and maneuvered Dick over to the edge of the sidewalk so that other people could continue walking by. "Alright chum you can remove the tie." This earned him a whoop and a fist pump. Letting out a small chuckle he warned, "But if you tell alfred he will have both of our heads. Yours for not looking presentable and mine for allowing you to not look presentable." Dick laughed, eyes bright and amused by the older man's warning. Alfred most certainly would be very discontent about Dick's lack of professional attire when going to his suedo-father's workplace.

Recommencing their walk through the city now that Dick isn't 'being choked to death by a pretty rope' Bruce listened to his mindless chattering. The air was chilly despite the bright rays of sun that illuminated the cloud-less sky and Bruce was suddenly glad that he had thought to wear his light coat. Dick on the other hand was bouncing all over the place, twirling around lampoles and jumping over grates to create his own heat. Bruce let him, enjoying the sight of the kid content and full of energy.

A light wind was blowing, causing the tops of the trees to sway as they turned into Gotham's Central Park to take a shortcut that would bring them right to Wayne Enterprises. Plus the fresh lush grass and thick foliage of the park was a nice change from the bleak and cold colors of the City. In the shade of the trees the air was moist and much cooler. Bruce saw Dick give a little shiver but continue bounding around as if the cold couldn't touch him if he moved fast enough.

Bruce had come to greatly appreciate the park in his time as Dick's guardian. The size of roughly a few city blocks, it was almost like stepping into a completely different world. The constant city noises that never ceased, disappeared once one stepped foot into the field of cedar and pine. All noise died down until all that could be heard was the gentle rustling of leaves in the wind and the delicate chirping of the birds. Multiple paths cut through this lush paradise, benches placed every so often to accommodate people who wished to emerge themselves in this small blip of nature. Bruce himself had sat on these benches many times, lost in thought as Dick vaulted and twirled around him. It was peaceful, Bruce decided, and in his line of work peace was a rare occurrence.

Checking his watch, Bruce decided that they could take one of the longer paths through the park. He wasn't usually against being late to work, as he was the longtime CEO and his presence was pretty much come-and-go anyway, but today was somewhat important. Wayne Enterprises was signing off on a new deal with Queen Consolidated. He still couldn't believe that the literal child that was Oliver Queen actually ran an entire corporation. The Green arrow could barely hold an entire conversation without saying something immature, though Bruce was fairly certain that it was Barry allen's fault. That kid was starting to rub off on everyone. Well almost everyone. Thankfully Bruce was immune to childish stupidity and was left to roll his eyes at the idiocracy being displayed before him by grown adults. Dick, a ten year old, was more professional and he was an actual child. He knew that when he donned his Robin uniform he had to interact with the world in the utmost serious manner. There was no room for jokes and pranks, though Robin had no problem with the latter, he seemed to be known on the streets for his charismatic charm and humor even in the midst of a fight. Really as long as Dick's head was in the game and he wasn't endangering anyone's lives, including theirs, the kid could crack a joke. He knew it was Dick's way of bringing some of his light into the dark Gotham streets and Bruce could appreciate that. Especially when he was able to make the Batman smile, though that was a rare occurrence making the look of pleasure on Dick's face is priceless. Out of uniform Dick was a well raised child. Bruce knew it hadn't come from him, as he was still learning the ropes when it came to parenting, but Dick's parents. Alfred of course was always there to teach him the finer points that came with the high class, socialite lives they had to live. Dick, always the attentive learner had no problem following his teachings, making the British man practically ecstatic. Bruce would definitely say that he had not been that good of a student at that age, to Alfred's displeasure, and was happy to find that Dick was not following in his footsteps.

White gravel crunched beneath their feet, wet from the morning's rain, as they made their way through the park. Dick enjoying the fresh air and freedom, Bruce enjoying the sight of his happy ward. He made a mental note to do things like this more often. Not only was if good for the kid, but it was good for Bruce too. Though he would never admit it, he tended to have a problem when it came to overworking himself. But since Dick became a member of his little family, and a huge responsibility to Bruce, he had been working on trying to take better care of himself. How could he tend and take care of his kids if he himself was in such poor condition? Making sure to spend time with Dick was beneficial to the two of them and would always have priority no matter how much work Bruce had.

Bruce, lost in thought, hadn't noticed that his young charge had stopped until he almost ran right into him. Mid-skip, Dick stood frozen in the middle of the pathway. He was looking at the nearby trees with a strange expression on his face that Bruce couldn't place.

"Dick?" He asked quietly, with a twinge of concern. Dick turned towards him, his face a portrait of confusion. "I thought I- I thought I heard something. Or-or someone, I guess." He said biting his lip. Uncertainty was making him nervous, as if he felt Bruce would scold or ridicule him if he was wrong. Bruce had been trying to demolish that train of thought, telling the boy that it was ok to not know something and that people made mistakes, but that Bruce would never get rid of him for that. Or anything else for that matter.  
"What did it sound like?" He was genuinely curious as to what made his kid freeze up like that.

Dick, mouth downturned in a frown, looked back into the foliage as he answered, "It sounded like a moan? I-I'm not sure, I mean it could have been a bird or something but," he sighed looking frustrated. Bruce stayed silent, giving Dick a moment to gather his thoughts as English was still a work in progress at times. "It sounded like a little kid crying, like me Bruce after my parents died," he took a shaky breath before continuing, "I think there is a person in pain."

At that moment both vigilantes snapped their heads to the left, tensing. A moan, so small and quiet Bruce was sure that the average person would never hear, sounded from within the greenery to the left of the path. Dick was right, that was definitely not an animal; it sounded too human. Locking eyes with his young partner, Bruce gave a quick nod, signaling for Dick to follow him as he stepped off the path and into the dense forestry.

The two of them made their way through the trees as silently as possible. Bruce scanned the ground for tracks or signs of a struggle as Dick watched his back. as it was Gotham, Bruce would not have been surprised if a mugger chose the park as his hunting ground. As vile as it was, that was the way things worked in the City. He just wanted to make sure that he and Dick were prepared if that was the case.

After ten minutes of tense searching Bruce was starting to question where nor not they had misheard when, "Bruce!"  
Bruce spun around upon hearing Dick's exclamation, body poised for a fight. But Dick wasn't in danger from some thug with a gun. In fact the kid was bent over behind a tree, the front half of him hidden by its trunk. He ran over to where Dick was crouched, footfalls muffled so much by the packed dirt that Dick gave a start of surprise when he appeared by his side, but his gaze never strayed from the prone figure in front of him. Bruce's eyes widened, Dick had been right.

It was a little girl.  
She couldn't have been more than eight years old, though from this position it was hard for Bruce to tell. Moving past Dick to crouch down next to the girl, who, even in unconsciousness, was curled in on herself, Bruce gently reached for her wrist. Placing two fingers there he waited, counting the slow, but present beats. Satisfied that she was alive, he took to studying her closer.

The girl was small, painfully so. As Bruce carefully rolled her onto her back, after making sure it was free from any sort of injury, he noticed how bony the child was. Her collarbone seemed to jut out of her chest, ribs visible even under a tattered red shirt, and her wrist was so small Bruce could easily wrap his index finger around it. She was pale, white as parchment, but covered in grime and the occasional patch of dried blood. This kid had been through hell.

"Mmmmmaaaaaa!" She suddenly let out a wail, arms flailing around weakly as she struggled her way back into consciousness. Bruce took a step back, motioning for Dick to do the same. They didn't want to scare the girl, especially since she was in such a vulnerable state.

Bruce was still close enough to see the first flutter of her eyelids and before he knew it he was looking right into the most entrancing eyes he had ever seen. Staring at him in fear from underneath a mop a matted and tangled caramel hair was a set of two different eyes. The left one was a brilliant leaf green, the right white as her skin with a couple specks of green. Bruce had never seen anything quite like hers, the white eye making him wonder if she could see him properly. Though in the state she was in he doubted that she could see much of anything. The poor child was shivering in the cool fall weather, dressed only in a ratty t-shirt and torn black shorts that looked as though they had seen better days. She was breathing heavily, eyes darting around in panic. His mind flashed back to Dick that night at the circus, Bruce cautiously leaned forward and placed a hand on the girl's shoulder.

It was the lightest of touches, but seemed to ground the kid enough for her to look at him. She flinched but didn't move away, as if she could tell, by peering into Bruce's eyes, that he meant no harm. "Hey kid. You're alright, it's ok. I'm not going to hurt you and neither is my son over there." He said gesturing towards Dick who gave a slight smile and miniscule wave of his hand. "My name is Bruce.. Can you tell me yours?" He had to see if she had suffered any brain injuries and asking for her name was the easiest way to do it. Keeping his gaze and body language gentle and relaxed in an effort to put her at ease, he waited for her response.

Wary, she opened her mouth to speak but appeared to have trouble formulating words. Mouth moving, but only gasps of air coming out, she looked at him pleadingly for help. and there was the brain injury. Bruce again wondered what could have pôssibly happened to the kid in front of him. Where were her parents? Why had she been left to die in the middle of Gotham park?

He felt a little hand grasp the bottom of his coat. Shaking himself out of his thoughts he was met with her distraught but intense stare. She was looking to him for help. This rest of that could wait: the whos, whats, and whys. Because for some reason this kid trusted him to take care of her, even though he was a complete stranger. Even though she had just been through a great amount of trauma and probably carried a multitude of injuries, including one in the brain, she still felt she could trust him. Bruce was shocked but grateful that at least he wouldn't have to worry about the child being too frightened by him. Now that he felt he could, Bruce reached down to carefully pick the girl up.

"You ok kiddo?" He asked, seeing her wince and tense against him. She nodded slightly, ducking her head. She was extremely light in his arms as he held her bridal style so that she would fit more securely against his frame while they walked, as not to jostle her too much. "Alright we are going to take you to a place that will make you all better ok?" Again, she nodded, albeit timidly. Content that the girl was fine for the time being, Bruce started walking, estimating that he could make it to Gotham General Hospital in ten minutes max.  
Already walking briskly through the thicket of trees to rejoin the path they had previously been on, Bruce only stopped when he heard Dick's running footsteps behind him. As he came to a halt beside him, Bruce could tell something was off.

"What is it Dick?" He question cautiously, the look on his son's face causing his insides to go cold. Wordlessly Dick handed him a small strip of paper, looking at the bundle in his surrogate father's arms with tender sadness. He must have found it after Bruce had moved the kid. The note only contained one sentence: Get rid of the defect.

Bruce's heat hammered against his chest in anger. So someone had left this child out here on purpose, to die. Rage ran rampant through his veins but he forced himself to calm down, for both Dick and the young girl's sake. He had been planning on taking her to the hospital then calling the police to see if there were any missing children reports. But this note shed a new light on the situation. The girl had been left to die in the middle of the park by people who had seriously caused her harm. There weren't people out there looking for this child, which left an orphanage as the only other option for her. And here in Gotham orphanages tended to be the equivalent of hell for children. There was no way he'd leave her there.

Looking down at the girl in his arms, Bruce bit his lip in thought. He could feel that pang in his chest that he had felt upon seeing Dick that night at the Circus. He wanted to help her, give her a home. But was that really the best course of action?

The girl had closed her eyes and was now snuggled up against his chest like a puppy. He sighed, knowing that he had already made a decision, but looked at Dick. The boy was staring at him as if he had just read Bruce's entire thought process, which he had. There was a brilliant spark in his eyes and a tiny grin making its way onto his face, giving Bruce all the affirmation he needed from the boy.

Holding the girl a little tighter in his arms as they made their way out of the park and to the hospital, Bruce sent a quick text to Oliver, telling him that work would have to wait. He had a daughter to take care of first. 


End file.
